Suspected militants on Saturday shot dead a sarpanch in Sopore township of north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
"It is not a crime to be a Hindu. It is not their (Islamic) State."
In April this year, Umar's mother also issued an appeal to him to surrender before the forces.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that the conversation regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir has not been stalled. He claims the issue was raised at the recent NITI Aayog governing council meeting, and the formal speech distributed at the meeting includes a mention of the return of statehood. Abdullah also addressed concerns about the impact of the Pahalgam terror attack on tourism, emphasizing the importance of local Kashmiris visiting tourist spots first to revive the industry and ensure a sense of security.
Pakistan's troops have engaged in unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting retaliation from the Indian Army. This marks the eighth consecutive night of such incidents, following heightened tensions stemming from a recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Civilians residing along the LoC and IB are preparing their bunkers in anticipation of potential escalation.
A cop also lost his life in the encounter which took place at Najibhat crossing in Kreeri area in the north Kashmir district.
The exchange of fire occurred even though the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan spoke over the hotline on Tuesday amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Days after the Pahalgam terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have deported 59 Pakistani nationals, including the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh. The Pakistani nationals were living in the valley for decades and were transported to Punjab for repatriation. However, the mother of the deceased soldier was later allowed to stay back. The deportation comes after the Indian government announced a slew of measures against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the downgrading of diplomatic relations.
Army troops on Thursday foiled an infiltration bid on the Line of Control in Uri sector of north Kashmir Baramulla district eliminating five intruders.
Jan Mohammad Kakroo was the district president of the party and office bearer of the local fruit growers association.
The two-day-long bloody gunfight between the security forces and the militants ended in Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon in which two army majors and nine militants were killed.
Najar was wanted for his alleged involvement in more than 50 killings
The decision to lift curfew from the two towns in North Kashmir came after Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Bhat held a meeting with local representatives and discussed various measures to restore law and order on Wednesday evening.
The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir will vote on Monday, May 20.
For the ninth consecutive night, Indian and Pakistani troops engaged in small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, continuing a pattern of heightened border tensions. The skirmishes, initiated by Pakistani troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement, have led to a tense situation along the LoC and International Border (IB). The incidents come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. Civilians residing near the border have begun preparing their bunkers, anticipating potential escalation. Despite a recent hotline conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, where India cautioned Pakistan, the ceasefire violations persist.
Three unidentified terrorists were killed in a fierce encounter in north Kashmir Baramulla district on Thursday.
Two soldiers were also injured in the Uri operation.
Authorities imposed curfew in north Kashmir Sopore and Baramulla towns and curfew-like-restrictions in the summer capital Srinagar to foil separatist called sit-ins and protests Wednesday.
Fate of 13 political heavyweights hangs in the balance as 12 more constituencies in north Kashmir's Baramulla district and central Kashmir's Budgam district go to polls on Sunday in the fourth phase of the assembly elections.Among those in the fray are senior octogenarian Congress leader Ghulam Rasool Kar, who after being denied a party ticket, is contesting as an independent candidate from the Sopore constituency in north Kashmir.
They said the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle at Botapathri near Nagin post.
Additional security personnel have been deployed on the ground and drones are being used for aerial surveillance, they said.
On sustained questioning, the SSP said, the trio admitted they are working for Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist outfit and were luring young boys into militancy.
To effectively deal with the law and order situation, the Jammu and Kashmir government announced the carving out of a separate police district in north Kashmir Sopore town.
Three persons including two militants and a civilian were killed in a north Kashmir gunbattle early on Saturday.
Stone-pelting broke out in Baramulla town of north Kashmir soon after hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Friday addressed a gathering there, police said.
Top Al Badr terrorist Abu Hamza killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
A dozen paramilitary, central reserve police force (CRPF) troopers and policemen were injured in a North Kashmir grenade blast inside a police station on Friday morning.
The government has extended the tenure of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan up to May next year.
Three to four terrorists are believed to have carried out the deadly attack on an Army convoy in the Gulmarg sector of Jammu and Kashmir that left four people, including two soldiers, dead, a senior police official said on Saturday.
Curfew was clamped in Baramulla town of north Kashmir on Wednesday, which witnessed protests over the drowning of a student, even as authorities terminated the services of a policeman accused by locals of pushing him into the river.
Moderate to brisk polling marked the fourth phase of state assembly elections in the north Kashmir Baramulla and central Kashmir's Budgam district on Sunday.
Weapons and other incriminating material were recovered from the spot.
A senior police officer said that the family comprising three men, four women and ten children crossed over to the Indian side of the Line of Control in north Kashmir's Uri sector on Friday afternoon to return to their homes. The family had crossed over to PoK in 1990 and had been living there since.
'I am happy that the people of north Kashmir burst the bubble of Modi's naya' Kashmir'
This was the second infiltration attempt in last two days.
A series of blasts took place in Srinagar city as the security agencies brought down a drone that was seen hovering over Batwara area of the city, close to an army installation, officials said.
Violence erupted in north Kashmir's on Baramulla town following death of a youth on Tuesday afternoon.
An unidentified terrorist was killed on Sunday in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, a defence spokesman said.
A youth was killed in army firing in Baramulla town and several others including a police officer injured in the day-long protests and violence as authorities ordered suspension of the internet services across Kashmir on Tuesday evening.
The Chinar Corps put out photographs and a video of the former captain while playing and interacting with the cricketers and the youths.
